Dawn Phelps
Columnist
Many years ago, I made a visit to the home of an elderly man in another town for a painting lesson. The man’s name was Mr. Nelson; he has since died. During my visit, he told me a story that I have never forgotten.
He said a lady came to his home to look at his paintings. As she looked at one of his outdoor scenes which included grasses by the roadside, the lady critically remarked, “I have never seen colors like that in the grass!”
The grasses in his paintings included golds, browns, reds, purples, and greens from his palette. To the lady’s remark, Mr. Nelson said he replied, “But, Madam, don’t you wish you could?” He said that he felt sorry that she was unable to “see” the colors and beauty.
Sometimes we too miss seeing “the colors” in our lives because of the many demands that take our time and energy. We may have taken life for granted and forgotten to appreciate the small beauties or pleasures that surround us.
Mr. Nelson’s story about the colors in the grasses reminded me of the little trips I used to make with my mother in the fall. During our outings, she admired the colors of the trees, shrubs, and particularly the colors of the grasses beside the highway.
As we drove along, she would exclaim, “Look at the grasses! Aren’t they beautiful? Look at the golds, the purples, the oranges….” Even though my mother has been gone for many years, each autumn I still think about how she saw “the special colors” in the grasses that many only see as ordinary.
This past week my husband and I drove to Concordia to eat. We took the old highway north from Miltonvale toward Ames, Kansas. As we drove along, we were amazed at the colors in the fields and the many grasses beside the road. Some we tall; some were short, but all beautiful.
The colors were outstanding. Some grasses were 3-4 feet tall since the highway department had not done the final fall cutting. There were oranges, golds, and browns, but the mauves, to me, were the most beautiful. There were also some shorter white grasses at the base of the tall grasses, creating an extraordinary contrast.
The fields of bright yellow soybeans made a distinct contrast with the dull, brown fields of dried cornstalks. And a large bright yellow field of soybeans next to a field of reddish-brown milo was breathtaking. Even though I am not usually an autumn lover (since I dread winter that comes next), the colors this year have been wonderful!
If you are unable to get out to see the autumn colors, then you may have to search a bit for different ways to brighten your life and add some “spice.” Here are a few suggestions.
Find a good book to read
Keep in touch with friends, family, or grandkids
Buy some yummy bright-colored fruits
Try some dark chocolate
Listen to your favorite music
Prepare your favorite foods
Spend time with those you love
Write your memories
Feed the birds and take time to watch them
Bake some goodies
Do something good for someone else
Watch a sunrise or sunset
Sit and enjoy the sunshine and a gentle breeze on a warm day
Grow a flower
Watch for pretty colors and scenes in nature as you travel
Life is a precious gift which can quickly be taken away. So, use your time to see and do things you enjoy while you are here on this planet. And look for pretty colors. If you have not seen the colors that are along the highways, I challenge you to slow down a little and look a little harder.
If you focus, you might discover some new colors. And if you, like the lady in this story, are unable to “see the colors,” I say to you, like Mr. Nelson, “But, Madam or Sir, don’t you wish you could?”
